The data on residence 1 year ago were derived from answers to Question 15 in the 2012 American Community Survey, which were asked of the population 1 year and older. For the American Community Survey, people who had moved from another residence in the United States or Puerto Rico 1 year earlier were asked to report the exact address (number and street name); the name of the city, town, or post office; the name of the U.S. county or municipio in Puerto Rico; state or Puerto Rico; and the ZIP Code where they lived 1 year ago. People living outside the United States and Puerto Rico were asked to report the name of the foreign country or U.S. Island Area where they were living 1 year ago.

For the Puerto Rico Community Survey, people who moved from another residence in Puerto Rico or the United States 1 year ago were asked to report the exact address, including the development or condominium name; the name of the city, town, or post office; the municipio in Puerto Rico (county equivalent) or county in the U.S.; and the ZIP Code where they lived. People living outside Puerto Rico and the United States were asked to report the name of the foreign country or U.S. Island Area where they were living 1 year ago.

Residence 1 year ago is used in conjunction with location of current residence to determine the extent of residential mobility of the population and the resulting redistribution of the population across the various states, metropolitan areas, and regions of the country.

When no information on previous residence was reported for a person, information for other family members, if available, was used to assign a location of residence 1 year ago. All cases of nonresponse or incomplete response that were not assigned a previous residence based on information from other family members were allocated the previous residence of another person with similar characteristics who provided complete information.

The tabulation category, "Same house," includes all people 1 year and over who did not move during the 1 year as well as those who had moved and returned to their residence 1 year ago. The category, "Different house in the United States" includes people who lived in the United States 1 year ago but in a different house or apartment from the one they occupied at the time of interview. These movers are then further subdivided according to the type of move.

In most tabulations, movers within the U.S. are divided into three groups according to their previous residence: "Different house, same county," "Different county, same state," and "Different state." The last group may be further subdivided into region of residence 1 year ago. An additional category, "Abroad," includes those whose previous residence was in a foreign country, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Marianas, or the U.S. Virgin Islands, including members of the Armed Forces and their dependents. Some tabulations show movers who were residing in Puerto Rico or one of the U.S. Island Areas 1 year ago separately from those residing in foreign countries.

In most tabulations, movers within Puerto Rico are divided into two groups according to their residence 1 year ago: "Same municipio" and "Different municipio." Other tabulations show movers within or between metropolitan areas similar to the stateside tabulations.

The characteristics of movers may be shown using either current residence-based or previous residence-based geography. If you are interested in the number and characteristics of movers living in a specific area, you should use the standard (residence-based) tables. If you are interested in the number and characteristics of movers who previous residence was in a specific area, you should use the residence-1-year-ago-based tables. Because residence-1-year-ago information for movers cannot always be specified below the place level, the previous residence-based tables are presented only for selected geographic areas.

Residence 1 year ago is used to assess the residential stability and the effects of migration in both urban and rural areas. This item provides information on the mobility of our population. Knowing the number and characteristics of movers is essential for federal programs dealing with employment, housing, education, and the elderly. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs develops its mandated projection of the need for hospitals and other veteran benefits for each state with migration data about veterans. The Census Bureau develops state age and sex estimates and small-area population projections based on data about residence 1 year ago.Question/Concept History

The 1996-1998 questions asked about residence 5 years ago. Beginning in 1999, the time period was changed to that of 1 year ago, which reflects the ongoing data collection on the American Community Survey, and allows for annual estimatesof migration. Beginning in 1999, a separate write-in line and a skip instruction were added for a foreign country response. This write-in line was moved to one of the answer categories for the residence one year ago question. The migration parts (city, county, and state response areas) were also reordered. Beginning in 2003, the numerical order was changed so that part c of this question would not be displayed in a separate column of the questionnaire.

Beginning with 2008, a write-in space for street address was included and the questions were reworded on both the ACS and the PRCS so that the geographic specificity is maintained for movers within and between the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Municipio of previous residence in Puerto Rico is available for people living in the United States as a result of this change. For more information, see the report titled Report P.3: Evaluation Report Covering Residence 1 Year Ago (Migration) on the ACS website (http://www.census.gov/acs).

Limitation of the Data - Beginning in 2006, the group quarters (GQ) population is included in the ACS. Some types of GQ populations have residence one year ago (migration) distributions that are different from the household population. The inclusion of the GQ population could therefore have a noticeable impact on the residence one year ago (migration) distribution. This is particularly true for areas with a substantial GQ population.

Comparability - This data source is not comparable to the Census 2000. The ACS asked for residence 1 year ago whereas Census 2000 asked for residence 5 years ago.

A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa. It includes people who indicate their race as "White" or report entries such as Irish, German, Italian, Lebanese, Arab, Moroccan, or Caucasian.

The data on the Hispanic or Latino population were derived from answers to a question that was asked of all people. The terms "Hispanic," "Latino," and "Spanish" are used interchangeably. Some respondents identify with all three terms while others may identify with only one of these three specific terms. Hispanics or Latinos who identify with the terms "Hispanic," "Latino," or "Spanish" are those who classify themselves in one of the specific Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish categories listed on the questionnaire ("Mexican," "Puerto Rican," or "Cuban") as well as those who indicate that they are "another Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin." People who do not identify with one of the specific origins listed on the questionnaire but indicate that they are "another Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin" are those whose origins are from Spain, the Spanish-speaking countries of Central or South America, or the Dominican Republic. Up to two write-in responses to the "another Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin" category are coded.

Origin can be viewed as the heritage, nationality group, lineage, or country of birth of the person or the person's parents or ancestors before their arrival in the United States. People who identify their origin as Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish may be of any race.

Hispanic origin is used in numerous programs and is vital in making policy decisions. These data are needed to determine compliance with provisions of antidiscrimination in employment and minority recruitment legislation. Under the Voting Rights Act, data about Hispanic origin are essential to ensure enforcement of bilingual election rules. Hispanic origin classifications used by the Census Bureau and other federal agencies meet the requirements of standards issued by the Office of Management and Budget in 1997 (Revisions to the Standards for the Classification of Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity). These standards set forth guidance for statistical collection and reporting on race and ethnicity used by all federal agencies.

Some tabulations are shown by the origin of the householder. In all cases where the origin of households, families, or occupied housing units is classified as Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish, the origin of the householder is used. (For more information, see the discussion of householder under "Household Type and Relationship.")

There were two types of coding operations: (1) automated coding where a write-in response was automatically coded if it matched a write-in response already contained in a database known as the "master file," and (2) expert coding, which took place when a write-in response did not match an entry already on the master file, and was sent to expert coders familiar with the subject matter. During the coding process, subject-matter specialists reviewed and coded written entries from the "Yes, another Hispanic, Latino or Spanish origin" write-in response category on the Hispanic origin question.

If an individual did not provide a Hispanic origin response, their origin was allocated using specific rules of precedence of household relationship. For example, if origin was missing for a natural-born child in the household, then either the origin of the householder, another natural-born child, or spouse of the householder was allocated. If Hispanic origin was not reported for anyone in the household and origin could not be obtained from a response to the race question, then the Hispanic origin of a householder in a previously processed household with the same race was allocated. Surnames (Spanish and Non-Spanish) were used to assist in allocating an origin or race.

Question/Concept History

Beginning in 1996, the American Community Survey question was worded "Is this person Spanish/Hispanic/Latino?" In 2008, the question wording changed to "Is this person of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin?" From 1999 to 2007, the Hispanic origin question provided an instruction, "Mark (X) the "No" box if not Spanish/Hispanic/Latino." The 2008 question, as well as the 1996 to 1998 questions, did not have this instruction. In addition, in 2008, the "Yes, another Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish" category provided examples of six Hispanic origin groups (Argentinean, Colombian, Dominican, Nicaraguan, Salvadoran, Spaniard, and so on).

Limitation of the Data

Beginning in 2006, the population in group quarters (GQ) is included in the ACS. Some types of GQ populations may have Hispanic or Latino origin distributions that are different from the household population. The inclusion of the GQ population could therefore have a noticeable impact on the Hispanic or Latino origin distribution. This is particularly true for areas with a substantial GQ population.

Comparability

The ACS question on Hispanic origin was revised in 2008 to make it consistent with the 2010 Census Hispanic origin question. The reporting of specific Hispanic groups (e.g., Colombian, Dominican, Spaniard, etc.) increased at the national level. The change in estimates for 2012 may be due to demographic changes, as well as factors including questionnaire changes, differences in ACS population controls, and methodological differences in the population estimates. Caution should be used when comparing 2012 estimates to estimates from previous years. The 2012 Hispanic origin question is different from the Census 2000 question on Hispanic origin, therefore comparisons should be made with caution. More information about the changes in the estimates is available (http://www.census.gov/population/hispanic/files/acs08researchnote.pdf).